Radha Sharma

Alcohol Abstinence and Relapse in ALD Patients, Predicting the Unpredictable

Alcoholism is common, and continues to be the source of great cost to afflicted individuals, their families and the community at large. Alcoholism is a chronic relapsing disorder. Alcohol dependence is characterized by a prolonged course of alcoholrelated problems and a persistent vulnerability to relapse. Even though there is an improvement in multiple domains of life after alcohol treatment, the risk of relapse remains high following treatment. that requires mental effort and is limited by a person’s cognitive capacity [1]. Relapse is common following treatment and thus research into the nature and determinants of alcoholic relapse is highly relevant clinically. Cases of nonproblem drinking in patients treated for alcohol dependence are recorded in the literature, so the lack of abstinence should not be considered the only legitimate way of considering relapse, an approach consistent with DSMIII-R/DSMIV descriptions of remission. Six months is considered a good compromise for a follow-up time period for treatment outcome research. Neeraj Nagaich1,2*, Radha Sharma3, Neeraj Garg4, Subhash Nepalia1 and Jayant Sharma2

Spectrum of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Study from a Tertiary Care Centre

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary hepatic malignancy. In India there is extreme paucity of data on HCC. Aim of this study was to review the risk factor, clinical feature and tumor characteristics from northwest part of India. This study concluded that phenotype of HCC in northwest India is very similar to that described in other region of India. Hepatitis B infection is the most common risk factor of HCC and most of the patients present in advance stage of disease.

Cell Block and IHC: A New Weapon in Diagnostic Armamentarium in Differentiating Liver Sol

the time of diagnosis. Liver cirrhosis was present in 28 patients (87.5%) at the time of HCC diagnosis including 5 with a past history. 3 of these 5 patients were on regular follow up and HCC was diagnosed at an earlier stage. Hepatitis B was the most common etiology for HCCs (65.6%). Only 28.8% of the close contacts of Hepatitis B related HCC got themselves vaccinated despite advice for the same. Conclusion: Surveillance strategies need to be improved so as to detect HCC at an early stage.

Factors Affecting Remission and Relapse in Alcohol Dependence can they Really be Predicted

Relapse is a multi factorial phenomenon and most likely to result from a combination of factors like characteristics of the patient, the drug and environmental rein forcers.2 One prominent feature noted before relapse in abstinent patients is craving or urge for alcohol. This urge may contribute to the risk of relapse. In alcohol dependents an unconscious learning process can lead to alcohol drinking in order to re-experience the positive mental state.3 According to the cognitive processing model, alcohol use becomes a habit that requires little conscious effort or attention and craving is a non-automatic process. Alcohol dependence is a chronic disease, characterized by craving, tolerance, a preoccupation with alcohol, and continued drinking in spite of harmful consequences.4,5 In addition to conditions wholly attributable to alcohol (e.g. alcoholic liver cirrhosis or alcoholic gastritis), alcohol is a contributory cause for many other diseases